Sauce soubise

Method

Heat stock and other ingredients, minus the pork, in a large pot until boiling. Place pork belly skin-side down in appropriate size deep baking tray.

Cover the pork with the stock and cover dish tightly with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 4 hours. Remove and cool slightly. Cook onions at the same time (see sauce soubise recipe below).

Gently remove pork from braising liquor (be gentle as the pork has a tendency to fall apart). Place pork on a baking dish and cover with baking paper. Place another baking tray on top and weigh it down with something heavy to press the pork overnight in the refrigerator (this helps presentation of the dish as it ensures the pork is of an even thickness).

Strain braising liquor through a fine strainer into a pot and reduce to 2/3 over high heat.

Cut pork into squares.

When ready to serve, heat a cast iron pan to medium heat, liberally season pork skin with salt and pepper, place skin-side down into pan and cook for 5 minutes or until skin is starting to crisp and become golden.

Transfer to oven and bake for 12 minutes until skin is crisp and heated through.

Sauce soubise
Place thyme in the base of a baking dish. Place onions on the thyme and bake in same oven as the pork until very soft (approx. 4 hours).

Cool onions slightly, then cut in half and scoop flesh into a processor or blender. Deglaze the dish they baked in with a little water and add about 2 tablespoons of the resulting liquid to the onions. Process until very smooth.

Heat cream to just boiling and add to onions. Season and puree again until smooth.

To serve, place a spoonful of the onion sauce in the centre of a warmed serving plate. Top with pork and drizzle with a little of the reduced braising liquor. Serve immediately.